BY SAMUEL SUKHNANDAN
In light of the recent rescue missions for trafficked victims, the Alliance For Change (AFC) is calling on the government to accelerate the fight against Trafficking in Persons (TIP), in particular the apparent sex slave trade.
AFC parliamentarian Cathy Hughes made this call during an interview with Guyana Times International last week Thursday.
Hughes stated her disappointment in the way government has been addressing TIP, but said she is happy about the work being done by the Guyana Women Miners’ Organisation (GWMO). “I’m disappointed, but not surprised,” she added.
Hughes said that from reports, the GWMO will soon be launching an aggressive public relations campaign to bring awareness to the issues.
The AFC parliamentarian believes that more NGOs and private sector companies should get on board.
“So even if we’re not able to get assistance in terms of establishing a safe house for the victims from the government, I think there are other avenues that we can explore to the end, so it will not be disastrous,” she explained.
Hughes said serious attention must be paid to the issue, if it is to be rooted out permanently. “Many are women who are lured into the areas where they have little to no contact with their families and there are horrific instances where their phones have been taken away. More or less, it’s modern day slavery in a kind of way, that is why it is very important and I don’t think we should be wasting time counting how many incidents we’ve had, we need to do something about it.”
The AFC parliamentarian had aired her concerns about the issue and said her party is ready and willing to work to help find a solution, given the increasing number of TIP cases. Hughes stressed that TIP is a matter of concern for all Guyanese, and requires serious attention.
She also reiterated the need for proper accommodation to be made available to victims.
The AFC has also advised government to establish a relationship with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and churches, in the interim, to accommodate these victims who are most times from the interior or gold mining areas.
